Socially Responsible Investing
by the Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica

“Prophetic hospitality is about crossing thresholds, re-imagining boundaries and negotiating space. It is about breaking down unnecessary walls.”
"Wisdom From The Tradition", p 61

“The Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, Atchison, Kansas, believe that we are called to just and prudent stewardship of the resources entrusted to us. Through our investments we exercise our responsibility to care for ourselves and the future members of Mount St. Scholastica. We also recognize our responsibility and obligation to have our corporate investments reflect the promotion of human life in all stages and of social justice according to Gospel principles.

To this end Mount St. Scholastica directs its investment managers to exclude investments in companies
• that derive revenue from the production, distribution, or sale of military weapons production, or nuclear, biological, chemical and other indiscriminate weapons of mass destruction,
• that derive revenues from abortifacients, abortion related services, pornography, or tobacco,
• that are involved in research of, promotion of or profit from embryonic stem cell research,
• that operate in Sudan or that profit in any way from activity in Sudan, and
that use sweatshops in the manufacture of goods.

Mount St. Scholastica actively promotes and supports shareholder resolutions directed towards
• protecting human rights including just wages, safe working conditions, rights of citizens, and universal health care for all,
• equal pay and promotion opportunities for women and minorities,
• making life-sustaining drugs safe, available and affordable to low-income individuals and nations,
• protecting the environment and reversing global warming, and
• halting the proliferation of genetically modified foods until safety is proven.

Mount St. Scholastica encourages its investment managers to actively seek out companies that undertake initiatives for energy conservation and the development of alternative renewable and clean energy resources.”

taken from the Investment Policy for Mount St. Scholastica

The Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica are a member of the Benedictine Coalition for Responsible Investment (CRI). This coalition of Benedictines was formed to join our voices to the voices of a growing number of faith-based individuals and groups who address issues of corporate social responsibility through their work with shareholder resolutions.

As a founding member of Benedictine CRI, the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica have filed numerous shareholder resolutions with corporations to hold companies accountable and to press them to be socially and environmentally responsible. Resolutions have been filed on human rights issues, equitable pay for workers, global warming and environmental issues, just executive compensation, universal health care for all and other justice issues.

The Benedictine Sisters have also committed funds to community development banks and nonprofit loan funds in order to make loans available to low-income individuals and to supply capital for small businesses. Funds are invested with HOPE Credit Union in Louisiana to assist Katrina survivors, with Shared Interest, an organization providing loans to startup businesses in South Africa, and with Mercy Housing where affordable housing and child care are provided to many low-income individuals and families. Community development banks supported by Mount St. Scholastica include Shore Bank in Chicago, Douglass Bank in Kansas City, Kansas and the Calvert Fund where loans are made to those who might not otherwise qualify.

Read more: The article from the Spring 2004 Threshold article “Stewarding our Resources Wisely”